Labor Unrest Shuts Schools in Midwest

Detroit Strike Adds to Woes; Teachers in Gary, Ind., Settle

The new school year has brought with it a fresh wave of labor unrest, as teachers in districts large and small went back to school without new contracts and thousands took to the picket lines.

Teachers in Detroit were on strike late this week, with talks between union leaders and district officials continuing. In Gary, Ind., union and school officials announced a tentative agreement on Aug. 31 to settle an 11-day strike.

For Detroit, the strike comes at a particularly difficult time. Enrollment there has been plummeting, and the district is trying to dig itself out of a $200 million budget hole. The district was expected to start the new school year Sept. 5 with 119,000 students, down 40 percent...